New KCI design should be modern, reflect ‘This is Kansas City,’ residents say

Convenient, modern and reflective of the city are some of the qualities residents would like to see with the new single terminal at Kansas City International Airport.

Close to 70 people participated in the first of six public design workshops organized by Maryland-based Edgemoor Infrastructure & Real Estate LLC, developer of the new $1 billion KCI project.

After a protracted procurement process to select Edgemoor, voters overwhelmingly approved the single-terminal proposal by a 3-to-1 margin earlier this month.

On Wednesday at the police training academy in Kansas City, residents got their chance to provide input on the new design.

Ed O’Herin of Kansas City said he likes the existing three-terminal KCI, but a change is welcomed.

“I like the the ease of getting in and out of the airport,” O’Herin said. “I like the access and the availability. I hope we maintain the convenience of it.”

Dianna King, an electrician from Kansas City, said she is a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 24. King said she met with several Edgemoore reps to reiterate the importance of the project to workers in the region.

“I want it to be built by Kansas City-area individuals,” King said. “I don’t want to see people coming from other areas to build something for Kansas City.”

Robert and Sherry Gibbs of Kansas City said the new design should be modern but also reflect the area’s rich history.

“We want it to be efficient and something that speaks to ‘This is Kansas City,’ and we are proud of,” Robert Gibbs said.

“Kansas City has a really rich arts culture,” Sherry Gibbs said. “I would love to see the arts represented in the airport design and amenities.”

Representatives from Edgemoor will host five more area workshops over the next two weeks. All are 6-7:30 p.m. They are:

▪ Thursday, Nov. 30, at the Northland Cathedral, 101 N.W. 99th St. in Kansas City.

▪ Dec. 5 at the Greg Klice Community Center, 1600 John Buck O’Neil Way in Kansas City.

▪ Dec. 7 at the Southeast Community Center, 4201 E. 63rd St. in Kansas City.

▪  Dec. 12 at the KU Edwards Campus BEST Conference Room, 12600 Quivira Road, in Overland Park.

▪ Dec. 13 at the Downtown Library, 14 W. 10th St. in Kansas City.

▪ Dec. 14 at the Kansas City Police Department’s South Patrol, 9701 Marion Park Drive.

This story was originally published November 29, 2017 at 10:40 PM with the headline "New KCI design should be modern, reflect ‘This is Kansas City,’ residents say."